This invention relates to an electric connection box construction for an automobile and also to an instrument panel harness-connecting construction having this electric connection box construction. More specifically the invention relates to a construction in which a pair of electric connection boxes are attached respectively to a body panel and an instrument panel, and are fitted together at their connector portions. The efficiency of mounting instrument panel harnesses is improved by the use of these electric connection boxes.
In a conventional construction, two kinds of wire harnesses, that is, an instrument panel harness and a cowl harness, are arranged between an instrument panel and a cowl panel of a body in an automobile. Both the instrument panel harness and the cowl harness include a power wire, a signal wire and an earth or ground wire in a mixed manner. An electric connection box 1, comprising a junction box (shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) to be connected to these wire harnesses, is assembled in such a manner that the electric connection box 1 is connected to either the instrument panel harness W/H1 or the cowl harness W/H2 through a connector.
In an automobile assembly line, the cowl harness W/H2 is arranged along a cowl panel 2 of the body, and is fixed by clamps while the instrument panel harness W/H1 is arranged along an instrument panel 3, and is fixed by clamps. In this condition, the instrument panel 3 is attached to the cowl panel 2. Then, connectors 4 of a front harness W/H3, a floor harness W/H4, a roof harness W/H5 and a door harness W/H6 are fitted respectively in connector fitting portions 1a of the electric connection box 1. A connector of either the instrument panel harness or the cowl harness (whichever one is not connected to the electric connection box 1 above) is fitted in the connector fitting portion 1a of the electric connection box 1. After all the necessary connectors are fitted in the electric connection box 1, the electric connection box 1 is fixed to the body panel at the cowl side.
As described above, when connecting many connectors to the electric connection box, the operator's hands must be extended into a blind space between the cowl panel 2 on the body and the instrument panel 3 from the lower side so as to effect this connecting operation. Also, the operator must crouch and stoop during the connecting operation, which imposes a large physical burden on the operator. Further, since the floor harness, the front harness, the roof harness, the door harness and either the instrument panel harness or the cowl harness must be connected to the electric connection box, many connectors must be fitted in the electric connection box, much time is required for the connector-connecting operation.
Further, after many connectors are connected to the electric connection box, the electric connection box must be fixed to the body at the cowl side, and this fixing operation must be effected in a blind manner, and hence is not easy. Thus, a problem has been encountered in that the fitting of the connectors in the conventional electric connection box, as well as the fixing of the electric connection box to the body, can not be effected efficiently.
To deal with the above problems, and more specifically to easily connect wire harnesses (which are to be mounted respectively on an instrument panel and a body) together, there has recently been proposed a construction (Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 1-142345) in which a connector of the instrument panel-side wire harness and a connector of the body-side wire harness are fixed respectively to the instrument panel and the body in opposed relation to each other, and simultaneously when attaching the instrument panel to the body, the connectors are connected together.
However, it is not easy to fit the multi-pole connectors, fixed respectively to the instrument panel and the body, together simultaneously when attaching the large-size instrument panel to the body. For example, even though the precision of the fixed position of each connector is enhanced, the fitting of the connectors can not be effected easily if the direction of mounting of the instrument panel is even slightly deviated.